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I admit it, I write when I’m inspired. When the house is quiet, the kids aren’t at my feet, the dogs are fed and the cats are napping. This means I’m not writing nearly as much as I could. Definitely not as much as I should. I try to fix this by writing later in the afternoon, or after dinner, but the house is so crazy that it makes my brain want to melt. Creativity doesn’t easily find its way through when I’m distracted or tired or pissed. So my style of writing as much as I can when I find the time is not working. I need to write when I make the time.

Sounds straightforward, right? It’s not…not for me. I loathe the word ‘schedule’ almost as much as the word ‘organized’ but the time has come to make this change. To be the person that works a 9-5 (times adjustable) with a calendar to keep track of work days and lists to keep track of my To-Do’s. Ugh. You know those people that write everything down, never forget calls, appointments or special dates like birthdays and anniversaries? I’m not that person. Maybe you are. If so, I’m totally jealous. Writing for me is a way to tame my inner (and outer…I mean, I have a teenager, people) chaos. I quiet the voices by giving them a platform to tell their story, and I know a lot of other writers do this as well. It’s part of the ‘process’ for many, but it’s no longer productive for ME. I feel as if I’ve been flying down the writing highway untethered and unsecured and hoping for the best, but it’s time to crank that down a notch and secure myself in. I need a seatbelt for this road, at least for now.

Today’s ‘work’ hours began 7 minutes ago, when I started writing this blog, because this is part of work, too. And then there’s a webinar to watch, and then there’s writing. I’ll end my work day with a brief stint visiting my social media pages, and come 5pm, I’ll take a break and make dinner and hang out with my kids and do some chores because life doesn’t stop because I want it to.

I’d love to hear tips from those of you who were born with natural organization skills. Drop a comment below and I may try out your methods!

Here’s to a super productive work day for all of us! *clinks coffee mug* Cheers!

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I can’t remember how long their bodies burned, but I do remember the sun setting before it was over, not far off in the distance, just beyond the still and dismal outline of downtown San Diego. Its flame-colored glare hit the Pacific Ocean and slowly melted beyond the horizon as smoke drifted up in dark gray coils into the sky. The fleeing sun took the heat away with it, and as the first stars of the night made their appearance, the crisp chill of January returned.

Ash settled all around me, resting on my eyelashes and the tip of my nose, threatening to choke the oxygen from my lungs. I kept vigil over my dead family while sitting at the edge of the garden, slumped forward with my legs crossed and my hands resting loosely in my lap. A steady breeze from the approaching night collided with the draft from the fire, sending hot gusts of air in my direction. My face and arms stung from the warmth, but the smell was worse than the heat. The strong odor of burning flesh kept my nostrils flared and stomach turning.

I knew that day it was true what they say; one can never forget the smell of a dead body. I know, I’ll never forget.

Book 1 of the Find Me Series

Reviewers say:

“This fast-paced thriller had me hooked from the start…”“This is one of the best stories I’ve read, by far…” “Brilliantly written and full of suspense…”“From the moment I started it, I did not want to put it down…”

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This means new opportunities to share TMDBooks with more readers, and we need your help to spread the word! The first Station book, ‘Dying to Forget’, is making its rounds to new inboxes as we speak, courtesy of EReader News Today, and it would be so awesome of you to help by mentioning this FREE book to a friend or forwarding this on to those who love to read. Thanks so much for being part of the TMDBook world!

If you’ve read all the books in The Station series – drop a comment below and let me know what you thought! Have a Happy Monday!